The Five Awarenesses

"These verses can be used by anyone at anytime as a practice to help safeguard our relationships. Many people have used them in weddings and commitment ceremonies and some couples like to recite them together weekly. If you have a bell, you can invite it to sound after you recite each verse. Breathe in and out a few times in silence before going on to the next one.

"1. We are aware that all generations of our ancestors and all future generations are present in us.

"2. We are aware of the expectations that our ancestors, our children, and their children have of us.

"3. We are aware that our joy, peace, freedom, and harmony are the joy, peace, freedom, and harmony of our ancestors, our children, and their children.

"4. We are aware that understanding is the very foundation of love.

"5. We are aware that blaming and arguing can never help us and only create a wider gap between us; that only understanding, trust, and love can help us change and grow."